The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1887-04-28
AgrItultural.
IMPROVEMENT IN SOUTHERN FARM.
ING.

ROAh0 ACduilN
agreed that he could have raised his
own corn had he grown three or four
acres more and would have had mon.
ey In his pocket and corn and pork
to sell to help provide freight for
railroad instead of paying the road
tor bringing in pork for him and
thus sending out what little money
ne could raise to buy it with, and SC
keeping Che country poor.
This instance is a typical one. The
Southern farmers are poor because
they do not grow enough to eat and
because their crops are 50 small that
they do not make so cents day for
their labor. How can these things
be changed? 1t is the old story of
Jupiter and the wagner stuck in the
mlre, over again. Put your shoulder
to the wheel; the gods help those
who help themselves. There is no
man In the country who can better
help himself than the Southern farm
er; with rich soil, genial climate,
market all around him, and pop
ulation feeding and clothing them
selves from outside their own terri
tory, the Southern farmer occupies
the most enviable position of all farm
ers. Why then does Southern agri-
culture languish, and why are South
ern farmers burdened with debt
Simply because of their poor culture
of their farms; their adherence to a
few crops; the absence of feeding
crops and cattle to consume them,
and their custom Of buying fertilizers
to make up for lack OF manures sim
ply because their income is less than
their outgo. 1t is repetition OF
Mr.. McCawber's case. One hundred
dollars income and s101 expenses
misery, 500 income, 500 expenses
happiness and comfort.
The escape from this disagreeable
condition is very easy if the farmers
only put their waste, worn, washed,
but not impoverished old fields into
clover and grass. If the lands are
poor and need it, the clover may be
turned under, otherwise the hay may
be cut and fed to the COWS or cattle
or sheep, and the manure put on the
land and plowed in with the sod as a
preparation for the common and in
dIspenslble cotton crop, which may
thus be increased FIVE or ten fold.
The same preparation will easily
raise the yield of corn in the favora-
bic climate to so instead of five bush
els, and thus enable the farmer 10
produce all his meat and have some
to sell to the so-long wished-for but
now apparent mechanic and artizan,
who is developing the vast wealth OF
forests and mines. The same result
will happen with the wheat and oat
crops, no longer scratched in among
T cornstalks by the Ineffective bull
tongue, but sown in good season up
on well plowed and MANFRED soil and
smiling at harvest time with heavy
nodding ears and yielding thirty
bushels to the acre.
All this is as certain as that night
follows day and that the morning sun
reddens the eastern sky and chases
away the darkness of night The
laws OF nature are inevitable and
certain. Effects follows causes in
Southern fields as well as in North
ern farms, and good culture, rotation
OF crops, liberal manuring, feeding
cattle, and industry lead to wealth
In the one as in the other, while alb
sence OF these, means poverty. The
Southern farmer has two crops which
bring him cash and will always make
HIM wealthy it he car only keep the
money these bring him, by producing
whatever he consumes in the way of
food and clothing. Corn, wheat,
clover, grass, millet, sweet potatoes,
and their results cattle, swine,
sheep, horses, mules-will supply
every domestic requirement, and
hundreds of millions of dollars pro
cured by other crops will furnish
capital to employ the industrial
works, which in their turn pour back
into the farmers hands the money
he has put into cultivation through
them.
This Improvement in agriculture
Is the one thing needful. An over
lowing granery, corn crib, ard meat
house on every farm will bring wealth
to Southern farmers, draw popula
ton 10 cover the vacant lands and
hi up the towns; will make availa
bic the vast idle power streams and
set q myriad of wheels in motion 10
change raw material into finished ar
ticleS, and will span the solitude
with railroads as they have done in
other localities.